Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Rode up Seattle Ridge to see how the storm snow was settling and bonding to the old faceted snow below.
Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
New point releases coming off of steep south faces on Seattle Ridge. Roller balls from solar warming on south aspects.
Calm, clear in the morning. Temperatures in the low 20s F all day. Temps felt much warmer in the direct sun. Weather did sock in during the afternoon along with some very light flurries of snow (no measurable accumulation).
10-12" of undisturbed settling powder. On the way down the Seattle Ridge up-track in the afternoon the snow surface was getting noticeably warm and beginning to bunch up in front of the snowmachines.
Pit 1: Seattle Ridge, 2900', NE aspect, 20 degree slope, HS:300cm, Pit depth ~100cm
We had 25cm of fist hard storm snow where we dug. Storm snow was sitting above a 2-3mm, 1 finger hard, degrading melt freeze crust. Below the crust was 15cm of fist hard facets. Tests yielded failures 25cm down from the surface at the new/old snow interface and a failure 55cm down from the surface within the old faceted snow.
Results at the new/old interface were ECTN11. Results within the old faceted snow were ECTN23.
Did lots of hand pits and side-hills. The storm snow had bonded to the old weak snow well where we poked in the snow. There did not seem to be enough storm snow, and the storm snow did not seem to have formed a cohesive enough slab to produce any propagation in the areas we poked and dug in.
Looking South into Warm Up Bowl. Storm slab released from below the rocky chutes, likely from yesterday. Skier triggered sluffs. Natural dry loose slides off Big Chief in the background.
Closer view of South side of Warm Up Bowl.
Closer view of skier triggered sluffs.
Natural dry loose avalanches on peaks behind Seattle Ridge.
Small storm slab released in minus 3 Bowl.
Tincan, skier triggered sluffs, likely from yesterday.
Natural dry loose avalanches in Todds Bowl.
Storm slab as well as dry loose slides off Sharks Fin ridge.
Dry loose slides off Eddies.
Hand hardness profile from Pit 1